Computer gaming systems provide online experiences which allow user to play games with other gamers connected via a local or wide area network. In some cases, one user is connected to a gaming console playing a game at one physical location and communicates with another user at another physical location. Currently each user may wear a headset with an earphone and microphone in order to communicate. This allows users participating as a team who may be located in different physical locations to communicate with each other, with non-teammate players in the same physical environment only hearing minimal ambient cross-talk (and only one side of the conversation). One such technique for use of multiplayer real-time voice communication in a gaming device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,959, assigned to the assigned of the present application, and hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.
Motion tracking systems have been developed which include microphones may eliminate the need for controllers and headsets. Techniques exist to allow a game or application to identify users within the field of view through a variety of mechanisms, including a three-dimensional depth camera capable of sensing user traits such as size, facial features, clothing color, etc. Voice recognition techniques also exist to identify perceived user voices through a variety of mechanisms including a microphone array.